Museums

I love working in natural history museums because of the biodiversity trove that they hold, and because there are always surprises. You never know what hidden treasures you may find (see “The Bone Dagger Discovery“), and you can’t anticipate all of the ways that collections may be used. Museums are also great places to provide hands-on, active learning about biodiversity science to students.

I also spend a fair bit of time preparing specimens such as those that are found dead and donated to the museum (listen to podcast of me preparing a Peregrine Falcon that was in the first clutch to nest on the UC Berkeley Campanile, and unfortunately died after hitting a building on campus). If you find a dead bird in California, we’ll take it! Visit the MVZ website to learn more about donating specimens.